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Delhites have found an ingenious methods to overcome their hefty electricity bills. Times of India reports that by installing a radio frequency circuit in their electronic meters, some Delhites are able to divert the incoming current flow out of the meter without being recorded. Naturally the Discoms were shocked.Can we call this whole idea a 'jugard', the ubiquitous Indian patent? We all are willing to, if it serves an useful purpose. Look at it this way, the heavy duty users of power will call this radio frequency circuit a 'jugard' but the 'Discoms' will call it illegal. The simple yardstick should be that, every 'jugard' should make us proud. This circuit isn't doing that, so we cannot call it a 'jugard' but surely we can call it an opportunity...

Why James Bond? Why now?The answer is simple. The present collective memory of 'Mr. Bond' has made him lovable and we are willing to forget 'Her Majesty's' lineage. He is hot now and running 'FULL HOUSE'. Mr. Bond is as much a British Agent as he can be a 'Delhite'(The prevalent thought is that Mr. Bond is an original Delhite or sort of.). So here is list of notable bond enemies from 'Howstuffworks' to increase our general knowledge(or to test our GK) :-Dr. Julius No-- an atomic scientist who reportedly lost both of his handsAuric Goldfinger -- a gold-obsessed smuggler who also works for SMERSH, a Russian espionage agencyOddjob -- Goldfinger's henchmanMax Zorin - a genetically engineered psychopathJaws - a massively strong, steel-dentured man006 -- a former MI6 AgentElliot Carver-- a warmongering media mogulBut then you have to grow up to Spectre,the master villain of them all. All movies end here.

The Prithvi Theatre Festival, 2006 Delhi is going to take place between 2-3 December, 2006 at Kamani Auditorium, No. 1, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi - 110001.All the details about place where tickets are available as well as price is here. The tickets have been made available from yesterday, the 26th November, 2006. Go and grab your tickets.If you visit the Theatre Festival, do post your reactions on the play you watched.Special Thanks : [DoingDelhi]

Some time around October - November, 2007, Delhi is going to get 625-780 state of the art, low-floor buses informs 'Times of India' quoting Delhi's Transport Minister.Delhi indeed has some fine roads and a decent transport system in place. State of the art buses would be an bonus. But who would insure that the buses run on time and in late night buses, the passengers are not abused.Having the latest equipment is one thing, but getting it to work for betterment of all is another issue.

Read This . On reading this article, it sprang to mind that has Indian Railways achieved a customer satisfaction level which mandates them to diversify into non-core activities such as car rentals , value-added tour packages, budget hotels .... no one knows what!It would be better if the Indian Railways makes sure the Trains are on time, there is enough carriages so that there is no waiting list, track are upto world class standard and there are no incidents of unlawful activities with its passengers when they are traveling with Indian Railways.

Another Sunday and our sense of appetite is not longing, for Vir Sanghvi's dose on 'rude food' is good enough. It is hard to imagine, but few in this country write about food which can be more delicious than the food itself, except for a few and notably Vir Sanghvi.A compilation of articles under 'rude food' in the Sunday 'Brunch' of the Hindustan Times by Vir Sanghvi into a book had drawn a lot of attention and managed to win accolades and prizes. But, when to our surprise he does not do his 'rude food' article on the Sunday 'Brunch', then we realize, how much this column has been part of our Sunday routine.'Rude Food' has come to stay to us because for most people, Sunday means being lazy, good food, ample gatherings of friends and a sense of enjoyment, which kind smoothens our temper to take in the good life in good food, atleast to know about it in 'rude food'. Sometimes, Mr. Sanghvi would write about truffle's, which…

From the day, I started reading the weekly forecast in newspapers, it was and it will be 'Bejan Daruwalla' who would be the person, I will refer to always. Not because, I had no access to others, but because Mr. Daruwalla made me fell that there is still hope.As a teenager, I picked up the habit while reading the 'The Sunday Times' National Edition [I am delhite, not the original dilliwalla so no Delhi edition for me]. Strangely, the news in the newspaper was dated but the Sunday supplement was quite a habit because of Mr. Daruwalla. I still read the weekly forecast online and occasionally I pick up the newspapers, when I am out of town.
It's been years, I have been reading the weekly forecast, which gives a kind of assurance in this distraught world. Sometime back, I had a nagging thought. Mr. Daruwalla is not young anymore, expect in his heart, so what, after him? I have no answer for this question. Can Mr. Daruwalla give his weekly prediction for the next centur…

It feels good to hear about money…In the last few years things have gotten a bit of complex. People who carry cash have money ( lot of money), and haven't carry credit cards instead. An article in 'The Times of India' got me thinking…[…]Intimacy Is ToxicDr. Richard A. Friedman, MD, in an article in 'The New York Times' parental pressures to get social has forced some young people to take drastic steps whereas they are perfectly normal being single…[…]If you rise early this weekend: Watch planet MercuryDuring the next two weeks we will be presented with an excellent opportunity to view Mercury in the early morning dawn sky…[…]Can we call Yamuna a river inDelhi ?Steve Fleischli and US environmentalist says 50 years ago Hudson river in New York was as the Yamuna today and …[…]Desi Youtube cloneI stumbled upon apnatube.com when one of my colleagues mentioned about it…read onDhoom:2is better than the original Dhoom.That's reviewer's part of the story. Why not se…

Software:[Picasa]
Make sure you have a ticket. Tickets are available for Sunday the 26th November, 2006. You can book you tickets by calling PVR Cinemas 51510787 or dialing 787 from your mobile phones.

An article in 'The Times of India' got me thinking. The article is about missing baggage's at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport containing loads of cash. It goes on to state :
"Very often when such passengers find their cash missing from the baggage, they simply inform the airline informally. They ask the airline to return the cash if it is found easily but refuse to lodge a police complaint,"In the last few years things have gotten a bit of complex. People who carry cash, have money (loads of money) and who haven't carry credit cards instead.

Dr. Richard A. Friedman, MD, in an article in 'The New York Times' informs that parental pressures to get social has forced some young people to take drastic steps whereas they are perfectly normal being single.Being single has gained legitimacy owing to the vigorous nature of the world today but prevalent social mindset would take time to accept this fact. There are lot of people I know, who would prefer their career to parenthood and marriage. These people are not 'disturbed minds' as are normally thought, they are, in fact really brilliant beings who are obsessed with what they are doing.There is also a fling side to this state of behavior. Gay and lesbian culture is being attributed to these group of young single people who have money but not the time to take up responsibility of marriage and parenthood.Look at it this way, young people will choose what they want and every generation is different from their predecessors. These young singles are financially well of …

Source : [Space]
These are early winter days and it is hard to get up early, but then there are rewards if you get up early this weekend. You can watch the planet Mercury. The smallest planet in the solar system can be seen in the early morning sky. The details about the planet and how you can spot it is: here.

Steve Fleischli, Waterkeeper Alliance's Executive Director is of the view[hyperlink] that the polluted Yamuna still has a future if sustained programmes and community participation takes place. He said:" …around 50 years ago, even the Hudson river inNew York
was as bad as the Yamuna … the trick ..lay in investing generously in sewage treatment plants…"
Waterkeeper Alliance is an environmental organization responding to destructive industrial pollution that was destroying the rivers.

I stumbled upon apnatube.com when one of my colleagues mentioned about it. It contains Desi clips and videos. I kind of liked it. You have to register to access the videos and clips, but the process it easy and fast.

It seems consumer dissatisfaction over the quality of service rendered by the private power distributors in the capital has forced the Delhi government to express dissatisfaction over the power scene.So the distributors after interactions with consumers and 14 months of diligence have come up with a new electricity bill which will address major concerns like consumer details, connection details and bill amount in the front page. The electricity bill would be made available in several languages, a distinctive feature of the bill. This new bill will be available in three months.What about availability of power in the city? Nobody has an answer to the regular power cuts. But, then, there is still hope. With the city gearing up for the Commonwealth Games 2010, and slew of power projects at hand, may be 2011 would be a different year as far as power cuts are concerned, when we can at last bid adieu to this problem.

I found this Rajasthani couplet in "Delhi: The Emperor's City by Vijay Goel.", which in a sense coalesce my view on Delhi:Rajasthani couplet:'Dilli Raand Dogali, Aatan No Jaato Karey, Nar Dekhe Naato Karey Bhoganiyan Ne bhog Lee.'It means:'Dilli is a fickle one she shoos away facinated suitors. Only who come up to her exacting standards enjoy her favours.'By the way, did you know that the native of Delhi is called 'Dilliwallaa' and somebody like me, who is not is a 'Delhite'.

First, Friedman on India posted at sepiamutiny.com. A posting which I found relevant and engaging. But, then, Mr. Friedman has an indelible influence on me.Second, MRF: 3 men and a century posted at pigsandwings.blogspot.com. This post is not only for cricket lovers but also for people who appreciate cricket trivia.Why I chose these two posts. Don't worry, I will be posting such materials in future also.

A slew of new initiatives have been undertaken to make Delhi suitable for the Commonwealth Games 2010. Yesterday, the Delhi Government decided to allowed ethanol blended petrol to be sold in the city. This step may curb the pollution menace the city is facing. Read on...

There are three traffic rules in Delhi:-First, travel as the crowd travels. The speed of your vehicle should be similar to the speed of the traffic, never faster and never slower.Second, if you find a DTC or a BLUELINE bus beside you, acknowledge them. They are big, they are strong and they can cause you harm. So, give them their way. Believe, me they are the crock's of Delhi's traffic, so 'no pangaa with them'.Thirdly, if you find a female driver (no offense meant) traveling on your side, turn left, turn right, turn where ever you can, get away from them. Believe me, its a learning curve which takes the longest time. You will find you why, sooner or later. Learning faster is the best option.Follow these simple rules and see, what a difference they make to your traveling pleasure.

Picture: Taipei 101 - the tallest skyscraper on the planetPic Credit: [Yueh -Hua 2006]Site Credit: [Flickr]Sector 29 of Gurgaon is going to get an 140 floor skyscraper. This is keeping with the ambition of the Haryana Government to turn gurgaon into a Millennium City. To be called Golden Triangle City Centre', this proposed skyscraper would be the tallest building on the planet. Read on...

I mean literally. Sealings in Delhi has left more than 130 liquor shops in residential area closed. Though they are all in the process of relocating, but the road ahead is not smooth. From the Times of India:"....most agencies, which are being forced to look for shops in designated commercial areas in colonies, face opposition from local MLAs...."l don't know how to take this news. But, one thing is sure, the booze lines will be an extended 'Q' this winter.

Behavior of Delhites near traffic signals are a study in themselves. Have you ever noticed some car-balla (simply driver) anxious to go to fourth gear the moment the traffic light turns green. My take is, this person may be riding a big car or small, but if he indulges in such behavior, it means that, this guy was a scooter rider once and his fortune today has landed him in a car, but his scooter-bala mentally never leave him. And at red light he tries to maneuver his car like is erstwhile scooter.Secondly, have you noticed that some car-balla take much longer to react to green light at the traffic signal. Guys, these are new owners. They have never owned a car in their damn life before or if they driven one, then it was their friends or relatives, but never their own. So, they are afraid that some scratch will come to their car if they run their car normally. So they are extra cautious. They cars end up getting more banged up than they should have been. Simply, owner's mistake.Th…

The India International Trade Fairs, is an annual journey, nearly most delhites undertake. If you ask some of them why they are at the trade fair, the reasons, will be as colourful, as one adds to an excuse. So, every body has an excuse to be at the trade fair. I had been avoiding the fair for some years' now. But, this year, the excuses for not attending the fairs had run out. So, I was there on a Friday. I had taken particular effort to avoid Saturdays and Sundays.May be the lack of annual pilgirmage to the fair has cast a cloud on my anticipations. I had taken for granted the food there would be varied and cheap. I had also expected to find the International Pavillion to be of interest. But, as it turned out the annual hype is misplaced. The focus of the fairs was missing. The fair was like a large Mina Bazar, where, trival goods are peddled. The variety of goods, which I had noticed only a few years back, is not there this year. This killed my interest my the fair.…

He was 94. But then age is just a number. He will be remembered for the economic thought he propounded. His influence is seen also in the economic liberalisation and unsackling of controls that various countries including India have taken for greater benefit. He will be remembered for a long time to come.

This blog took the name of boledil ( pronounced bolee deel) to reflect the long held idea of a Delhite. Delhite in movies and in other areas have been depicted as 'dil bale' meaning 'people who follow their heart'. Man of gusto in short.The present delhite has taken up other forms also. He is now adept in sealing deals, finding solutions to problems which never existed and at the same time has the passion to look beautiful and fashionable. He has in short has mastered the trade of pleasing everyone everywhere and still has a personality of his own.My salute to this spirit, even though the ends and means have no meaning here.

Thinking of buying a second hand mobile handset. Think again, it may be a stolen handset. So how to go about buying a second hand mobile handset. Follow these steps:-
Genuine Dealers: Go to a genuine dealer of mobile handsets. If you know somebody in the trade, it is better.
Choosing amodel: It is always preferable to buy a mobile in the mid level price range. Because the lower end models are not available and the higher end mobile handset are most probably stolen ones.
Verification: Verify whether the mobile phone you are purchasing is a stolen one or not. To verify you require IMEI number of the mobile phone you are going to purchase. You can also get it by dailing *#06# on the phone. Then go to ZIPNET and enter the IMEI number and see whether the mobile is stolen one or a genuine one.
This whole process is recommended even when you purchase a new mobile handset.

The Monitoring Committee of the Delhi High Court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to take action against motels found hosting wedding receptions.Earlier the Delhi High Court had ruled that farmhouses, banquets halls and parks not hosted by 60 feet wide or more roads cannot be used for marriages. You thought finding the right person to marry was difficult.Now with direction of Monitoring Committee under implementation, you don’t have a decent place to marry even though you have found your hubby.Though you can still have a ‘Court Marriage’.

CP was a chance discovery after I took up an accommodation in a near by area.Lonely and inquisitive, my walks in and around the place lead me one day to Nehru Park(also called Central Park) in the middle of CP.I took up a seat under the parapet and loved it.You don’t love loneliness, but here I felt, I was not alone.The place called me often, and I was a regular till one day, Metro lay claim to it.With the park occupied with construction work, I took up other pursuits, till one November afternoon.With nothing to do, a thought of CP had the desired effect.So back I was at CP on that Saturday.I took a stroll, which started from the India Today gallery.The whole inner circlewith its all white colours and pillared columns exuded a kind of relaxed attitude. A cookie at Wegner’s, Iron hairs to enjoy the setting sun, a clear horizon and tall buildings all around, felt like you were in another world altogether. Nothing much has changed today except for the Metro Station escalators…

Site credit: Flickr Pic credit: mapledell Dengue, an epidemic threatening to explode, has claimed many a Delhites. Though it is still claiming lives as I write this, but the impending winter will take care of the dengue treat. After all dengue is a seasonal problem.Think of urination in public. This call of nature has caught the attention of media and citizens alike. Media is worried, what image New Delhi would project to the world when it comes visiting in 2010 during the Commonwealth games. To the ordinary man on the streets, 2010 is still a few year's away.In fact our uncontrolled behaviour to urinate at public places is being blamed as one of the causes of dengue. Public apathy to such acts has a role to play and also the casual attitude of the municipal corporations is not helping. But with mainstream media on the job, you can expect some results.Next time you pee on a wall, think twice. Because, if you get dengue, you know whom to blame. Inspiration article : HARDNEWS

With matrimonial websites doing a roaring business and the marriage season on the cards, it is a good time to visit the subject.What is the prospect of finding a good bride for an Indian male? Statistics says, he has 0.9 per cent chance.With every 1000 males there are 900 females in India. The ratio’s are getting a bit skewed, lately. So, the prospect to getting married in this life time seems bleak in the country.But then, there is still hope. You need not loose sleep, if your local match maker fails to find you a bride, or the matrimonial website you registered with gave you listings of would be brides who were not a proper match for you. Try these options:- (i)Get a call centre job: The prospect of finding a bride is high here, but then, there are people like you prying also. You have to make an attempt and before that you have to read ‘Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by Dr. John Gray’ to brighten up your changes;(ii)Being Single:Explore the other side of being single.You c…

While traveling through ITO, I noticed a punctured tyre in my vehicle.I stopped it near the road side and looked for a puncture-wala.One was there, perhaps waiting for me.He seemed young, hardy and naïve. He offered to repair the puncture. Soon he was joined by his four other friends, who seemed eager to help him.He started the repair work in right earnest. But somewhere in between, he had managed to cut the tube with his long screw driver like thing.The cut was in such a position that, the tube could not be repaired and a new tube had to be managed. I caught his act, but he declined his guilt.There was a real problem now. I was with my family and in between two places.I had no choice but to find a way out.He had all the cards. Further, he had no new tube. He gave me two choices.That I go and get a new tube or let him go to Darya Ganj and purchase a new tube.He named the price of the tube and also his labour charge. The price he named was much above the market price as I knew the exac…

Photo credit: Prolix6x Source Site: Flickr
The Babu market area (where the 2005 serial bomb blast had occurred) is home to quite a few ladies tailor shops. I had seen them, tailors, their hands full with work. They were so busy that, if you did not personally know one of them, then it was hard to get a kurta (Indian dress) stitched, which would turn out to be of one’s liking. And today, I mean, the 4th November, 2006 told another story.
I had been to sarojini market to shop and get a kurta for my wife stitched. We both had noticed quite a few tailor shops in the babu market area, just a few month’s back. But boy, what I saw today shocked me. There were no tailors in babu market today. Not a single one. Where have all the tailors gone? The old tailor shops had been occupied by watch shops, readymade garment shops and shops of cosmetics. Have, people over night, turned to ready made garments, and forsaken garments stitched by their good old tailor. I don’t have a …

You call up a call centre.You ask them for some info.You will get that info.But, instead, you request for certain alteration or action, then, watch out.You may have to make a few more calls, so that action on your request is taken.On an personal note, I find it takes 5-7% of the cost of service to maintain it.The natural question is how do I minimize that cost. The cost of maintaining a service depends on the nature of service taken, the actual cost of service, the competitive environment in which the service exists, the importance of the service to you, duration of the service.It is assumed by many, the less technical a service, the cheaper will be its maintenance.Say for example, a bank account, phone service, credit cards, ISPs etc.Lets see! You call up your bank call centre to find the balance (ATM is far and you have to travel to retrieve information – a phone call from home or office is easier).The girl on the other side says politely that the network is down and requests you fo…

Last day of the month is the payday for employees of any organization. In Government Offices, you know the atmosphere on any working day. But on payday, the attendance is in full strength. Everybody seems to have that good cheer, which was just missing the other day. All have come to the office on time and are committed to complete the work assigned to them with all their diligence. Then, sometime in the afternoon, the pay time arrives and there is a long queue before the cashier. A motley crowd is seen near the cashier sharing jokes, people counting cash, asking for revenue stamps, things like that. Within half an hour of this, the office is empty. After all the money is to be safely carried back home. Few individuals, who had for some unknown purpose given the cashier a miss, will have to wait. For, the next working day.This was the general atmosphere only a few months back.Now with ECS (Electronic Clearing System), money is credited directly into the person’s account and tha…